Zubiri, Romualdez agree to work professionally

MANILA,  Philippines— Senate  President  Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez have agreed  to  “work professionally” and set aside their differences.

Zubiri  himself  confirmed his meeting with the Romualdez during the 100th birthday celebration of  chief presidential legal adviser Juan Ponce Enrile on Wednesday.

“Good news, nag-usap kami ni Speaker kanina. Sabi po namin e let’s work professionally. Tigil muna ang bangayan and let’s continue to work for the benefit of the administration, para sa ating mga kababayan. Hindi na maganda kung palagi po kaming nagbabangayan, nag aaway,”  Zubiri said in an interview at the Senate.

(Good news. I spoke with the Speaker earlier. We agreed to work professionally. Let’s halt the quarrels for now and continue working for the benefit of the administration, for our fellow countrymen. It’s not good if we’re always arguing, fighting.)

“So we committed to talk to each other hopefully next  week for a secondary meeting kasi mabilis lang  po yung pagkita namin kanina, nagkamayan  po kami at yan po ang mensahe namin,”  he added.

(So we committed to talk to each other hopefully next week for a secondary meeting because our meeting earlier was brief. We shook hands, and that’s our message)

Zubiri said their meeting  was witnessed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos  Jr.

Most of his colleagues in the Senate were also willing to “let bygones be  bygones,”  said the Senate leader.

“I know medyo nagkasakitan  ang ibang mga senador  at mga congressmen particularly my Majority Floor Leader but it doesn’t mean we cant work professionally.  Professional  naman po tayo. That doesn’t mean  we cant  work with our colleagues professionally,” Zubiri  said.

(I know there were hurtful words hurled among  certain senators and congressmen, particularly with my Majority Floor Leader, but it doesn’t mean we can’t work professionally. We are all professionals. Just because there were disagreements doesn’t mean we can’t work with our colleagues in a professional manner

Zubiri was  referring to  Senate  Majority Leader Joel Villanueva who recently traded barbs  with some congressmen  still over the new Charter change bid.

The Senate and the  House have  been in a verbal  tussle  over the Cha-cha move  through a people’s initiative.

The Senate, in particular, strongly opposed the  proposed joint voting of Congress as senators perceived  this would diminish the  power of the upper chamber.

The upper chamber is composed  of only 24 senators while  the House is comprised of more than 300 members.